Page 24 of Racing Hearts
“Oh, and Georgia?”
She glanced back over her shoulder.
“You’re welcome to come test this upgrade anytime!”
She didn’t reply, except for a single middle finger in the air.
Chapter Ten
Georgia
“You look like the sun is literally shining out of your ass. What’s with all the yellow?” I asked as Nora waltzed into my room, dressed in a bright yellow bucket hat and matching pants. Her happiness was a complete contradiction to the dread that all but consumed me this morning.
“Thought I would try and bring the sunshine in case Miami brought rain, but now I fear it worked too well. Heard today’s race is going to be over 100 degrees,” she moaned. “Speaking of which, you feeling ready for today?”
The question I’d been dreading since my horrendous qualifying yesterday.
“Frustrated I’m starting eighth.”
Embarrassed was more like it. In Saturday’s qualifying, a piece of debris had gotten lodged into my car’s floor, forcing me to retire from the final session early. An eighth-place starting spot was a disaster for my race today. Didn’t matter that the debris lodged in my car wasn’t my fault, there was no changing my qualifying position.
The brutality of Formula 1.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll make your way to the front in no time.”
“I’m sure the team will have no problem letting me pass Lily on track,” I grumbled sarcastically.
I was pleased that my teammate had gotten fifth in qualifying, but Valkyrie wasn’t going to just wave me by past her if she was having a good race. Lily had a chance for a podium here, and I’d have to earn my pass.
Nora either didn’t hear the sarcasm or chose to ignore it. “So, I forgot to ask… did you happen to ask Luca any of the questions I wrote during your date? We should subtly slip some of those into your interviews today. No doubt they’re going to ask you about your relationship.” Nora waved her hands at me, and I made a point not to look up from my phone. “Georgia!”
“I learned he likes the color purple.”The worst color.
“Really?” Nora shimmied her shoulders with unhinged giddiness. “Good thing I put you in that purple dress then.”
“He must have thought he’d died and gone to heaven!” Lily called out from my doorway.
I flipped her off without looking up. “Doubt it.”
Neither of them seemed convinced, and before I could protest, Lily thrust her phone into my hands with a look of triumph. “Ye of little faith! Look, a new photo of yourdate nightcame out this morning!”
A warm blush crept across my cheeks despite my best efforts to appear indifferent. Luca’s arm was draped casually over my shoulder, his lips brushing close to my ear as if he was sharing an intimate secret only for me.
“Date didn’t look that bad,” she added with a wink.
“Alright, enough of you,” Nora laughed, shooing Lily out of the room. “Time for Georgia’s coffee date!” Leaning in close, Nora looked like she was about to reveal a top-secret plan. “Okay, so when we get to the Hermes hospitality suite, you need to be all cheeky and ask Francesco if Luca is there.”
“Why wouldn’t Luca be there? He’s aHermesdriver and it’s theHermessuite on a race morning.”
Ignoring my barb, she added, “And then Luca will come out with your brother, and you’ll have a little harmless pre-race chitchat, blah blah blah. Try to throw in something that isn’t racing related.”
“You do realize the only thing Luca and I have in commonisthat we race cars.”
The truth was, I talked about racing with Luca because it was the only thing we shared. His idea of a Tuesday night involved yacht parties with influencers and an open bar. Mine involved sweatpants, an F1 simulator rig, and whatever romance novel Nora and Lily forced into my hands.
Nora straightened her bucket hat. “Well, I’m sure you can find something else to discuss!”
“Never stolen a yacht before, so that one’s out.”
